After their special training, Bruce and Selina's control over their strength had improved dramatically. The fallen leaves on the ground were increasingly less damaged when they handled them.
They could now effectively harness the power granted by their battle suits, and could even unleash more powerful strikes through proper fighting stances.
Thanks to Marcus's training, the two of them now possessed enough power to deal with those beast-human assassins.
The battle suits Marcus had given them provided tremendous strength. They no longer needed to worry about killers showing up at their doorstep unexpectedly. In fact, the two were even eager to venture out and face these enemies head-on.
Marcus wasn't surprised by their enthusiasm.
Both Bruce and Selina were still young at heart. Now that they had mastered such power, it was natural they'd want to strike back against their pursuers.
But if they wanted his permission to confront the beast-men, they would have to pass his test: withstand his power for one minute.
And that was with Marcus using only a fraction of his strength.
Otherwise, even with complete mastery of their battle suits, they wouldn't last a single breath against him at full power.
Bruce and Selina approached him, brimming with confidence. In their minds, even if they couldn't defeat their teacher, surely they could hold their ground for just one minute.
With this self-assurance, they stood before Marcus.
"We're ready, sir," Bruce announced.
As soon as Bruce finished speaking, a swirling vortex appeared in Marcus's hand.
Whoosh!
The moment the vortex formed, a powerful suction spread around Marcus, causing both students to feel tremendous pressure instantly.
"I think you two might be a bit overconfident," Marcus said coolly. "Lasting a minute against me isn't as simple as you thought."
For Marcus, this level of power was nothing, but for Bruce and Selina—even with their battle suits—it made forward movement nearly impossible.
The two struggled to step backward, fighting against the suction force emanating from Marcus.
"Ha! Weren't you both so confident just a moment ago? What happened?" Marcus teased, watching their previously self-assured expressions fade.
Hearing his taunt, Bruce's face reddened with embarrassment at his earlier arrogance.
Marcus hadn't even attacked them—he'd merely used a single technique, and they were already struggling. If he actually attacked, they probably wouldn't last more than a few seconds.
Marcus wasn't testing them because he doubted their ability to handle the beast-men. Rather, he was concerned about their recent overconfidence. Their egos had swelled with their newfound power. They needed to understand that there would always be someone stronger—heaven above heaven, talent beyond talent.
While the two were resisting the vortex's pull, Bruce drew the dagger from his waist and plunged it into the ground, using it as an anchor against the suction.
His actions gave Selina an idea, and she quickly did the same, using her dagger to resist being pulled toward Marcus's vortex.
Marcus was somewhat surprised by their strategy. Bruce had devised a clever solution. Though not elegant, it was effective.
The two strained to escape from the influence of Marcus's vortex. Though Marcus maintained his power, Bruce's ability to adapt in battle impressed him.
Bruce's quick thinking revealed itself. If he continued to develop and use his strength wisely, he would indeed become the Dark Knight that Marcus remembered—someone who could calmly handle any problem he faced.
Seeing that both had managed to anchor themselves against the vortex, Marcus withdrew his power and nodded slightly.
"Alright, I'll consider you both to have passed the test."
Now that Bruce and Selina had mastered their powers and demonstrated quick thinking, Marcus was satisfied with their progress.
With Marcus's approval, Bruce and Selina were elated. They had finally passed his test.
Though their success came through a clever workaround rather than brute strength, they had earned his recognition.
"We did it!" they exclaimed to each other.
Now they could finally leave Wayne Manor and take the fight to the beast-men who had hunted them for so long.
The two armed themselves fully, gathered their weapons, and headed into downtown Gotham under the cover of night. They were determined to eliminate all the beast-men assassins who had been pursuing them.
Marcus and Alfred stood at a window in Wayne Manor, watching them leave and anticipating tomorrow's news.
"Alfred, care to guess how they'll fare?" Marcus asked.
"Master Bruce and Miss Selina have their battle suits now. There shouldn't be anyone in Gotham who can threaten them," Alfred replied confidently.
Of all the people he had encountered, except for Marcus himself, none could match Bruce and Selina in their enhanced state.
Even the beast-men who had broken his arm would be no match for the duo now.
No matter how powerful those beast-men assassins were, they wouldn't stand a chance against the battle-suited pair in direct combat.
This was Alfred's honest assessment after experiencing the battle suit firsthand. The suits provided more than enough strength—even he, old Alfred, had been tempted to test the suit's capabilities.
"What you say may be true, but what if...?" Marcus smiled and shook his head.
His arm instantly transformed into Titania [Illusion Butterfly Fairy], summoning a swarm of razor butterflies.
"Go protect them. If they find themselves in trouble, help deal with their enemies."
The razor butterflies and energy butterflies dispersed throughout Gotham. Citizens who were preparing for their nightlife activities witnessed this strange phenomenon.
The blue energy butterflies astonished Gotham's residents. Some even tried to capture these ethereal insects.
Without exception, they all failed. The energy butterflies were formed of pure energy—butterfly nets meant for ordinary insects were not only ineffective against them but ended up with large, burned holes.
Under the cover of the energy butterflies, countless razor butterflies silently flew through the air, following Bruce and Selina toward the area with the highest concentration of beast-men.
Meanwhile, the beast-men assassins had gathered together.
The recent loss of numerous beast-men had caused some dissent within the organization. Certain voices strongly opposed continuing the beast-men program.
But their reasoning was absurd—human rights defenders in an assassination organization? This had nothing to do with their kind of work. Anyone who heard such arguments would find them ridiculous.
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